Owner of Several Maine Massage Parlors Charged with Sex Trafficking, Forced Labor

The owner of multiple massage parlors throughout Maine has been arrested in connection to a police investigation into alleged sex trafficking and forced labor occurring at a massage parlor in Lewiston.

Lewiston Police announced on Wednesday that in March of 2024 they launched an investigation into a suspected illicit massage parlor operating on Sabattus Street in Lewiston.

[RELATED: New York Man Arrested for Criminal Threatening, Sex Trafficking at Portland Massage Parlor…]

Investigators identified the owner of the massage parlor, which operated under the name Wen Xin Spa at 3 Hartley St., as 58-year-old Richard Qiu of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Police say Qiu is associated with several massage parlors throughout Maine.

A massage parlor in Bath owned by Qiu was previously served with a cease and desist order by the city due to code enforcement issues in April.

Scott Davis, the City of Bath Code Enforcement Officer, wrote in the cease and desist letter that employees at Qiu’s massage parlor, called Xinye Spa, were not licensed to provide commercial massage services, leading the the city designating the parlor as an “Adult Business,” and therefore prohibited from operating in the city’s downtown area.

During the course of their investigation, Lewiston Police executed two search warrants at the Sabattus Street massage parlor, leading to the identification of two suspected human trafficking victims.

Also found during the searches was video recording equipment, condoms and over $12,000 cash in suspected sex trafficking proceeds, police said.

A warrant for Qiu’s arrest was issued after he was indicted by an Androscoggin Unified Grand Jury in July, but he was not arrested until Sept. 6, when he was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service in Boston, Mass.

Qiu has been charged with two counts of sex trafficking (Class D and Class E), forced labor and criminal forfeiture — meaning he must surrender the property associated with the alleged criminal sex trafficking operation.

Lewiston Police say they were assisted in their investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Marshals Service and the Androscoggin District Attorney’s Office.

The Lewiston-based social services organization Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Services also assisted in providing victim services to the alleged trafficking victims, police said.

In a Wednesday statement to the Sun Journal, Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline praised law enforcement for their investigation and affirmed the city’s commitment to public safety.

Mayor Carl Sheline applauded the investigation and said city police will continue to crack down on sex trafficking in any form.

“As mayor, I fully support the efforts of our Lewiston Police Department in tackling the unlawful activities that occurred here,” Sheline said. “I stand with our Lewiston Police Department in denouncing the horrific crime of sex trafficking. This business has disrupted the safety and well-being of not only our community, but others throughout Maine for far too long.

“Today’s action by the Lewiston Police Department sends a clear message that we will not tolerate such behavior, and that we are committed to maintaining a safe, respectable environment for all our residents,” Sheline added. “I commend the police for their swift and decisive response, and we will continue to uphold the standards of our city with vigilance.”